Lewis Chess Set
The ancient game of chess can be traced back to around AD600 in India and needs little introduction from us. European chess developed from around AD1100, the chequered board being introduced about a century later.
In 1831, on the Isle of Lewis in the in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, a local shepherd found a small chamber of dry-built stone about 15 feet below the top of a sandbank that had been partially washed away by the sea. The chessmen discovered within the chamber are probably the most famous in gaming history being the oldest complete set of chessmen ever found. Made from walrus tusk, they are believed to be of Icelandic origin and to date back to the twelfth century.
The Lewis pieces are on display in the British Museum and in the Museum of Edinburgh. Visiting either museum is a worthy experience but with these replicas, you can own a little piece of history yourself. Made in England by Jaques, the eminent chess manufacturer, these pieces are a faithful replica of the original in ground marble resin. The Kings are about 90mm high with base 44mm wide x 34mm deep (3.5 x 1.75 x 1.25 inch).
Please note: Board not included.
Click on the picture to enlarge.
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Replica Lewis chessmen |
£67.23 | £79.00 | 3 + transit time | ||
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Chess Boards
Jaques
standard boards are beautifully crafted with a decorative border surrounding
inlaid Walnut and Sycamore squares. The perfect setting for quality chess
pieces.
Click on pictures to enlarge.
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20 inch Walnut & Sycamore Board, ~50mm sq. (for 3½ inch King) |
£41.70 | £49.00 | 3 + transit time | ||
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The Origin of Chess
A great deal has been written about the origins of chess and there is still a lot of debate on the subject. The earliest clear ancestor of chess is shaturanga or chaturanga which was invented by a 6th century Indian philosopher. It was a battle between four armies each under the control of a Rajah (king), two players being loosely allied against the other two and and each containing 4 corps - Infantry, Cavalry, Elephants and Boatmen. The board of 64 squares used for shaturanga, was borrowed from an earlier game called ashtapada, which was a race game played in ancient India.
Under Hindu law, gambling became forbidden early on in the Hindu civilisation and, to avoid the gambling laws, shaturanga players dispensed with the dice. Another early modification was the merging of the allied armies into a single army making the game a two player form and duplicating the pieces, both developments which have survived until today. Other changes also occurred; and the resulting game was called shatranj.
There are three versions of the story of arrival of shatranj in Europe - did it come from the Saracens via Spain, from the Byzantine empire as a present to Charlemagne or was it brought back from the Middle East by Knights returning from the Crusades?. Nonetheless, in Europe, the game developed into modern European chess now played worldwide while in China, Japan, Burma, Thailand and Korea, other variants became just as popular.
You can learn more about the History of Chess from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.